What
are the Stations of the Cross?

Christians have always wanted to walk in the footsteps of Jesus to the
cross. For most of us this opportunity will not arise. However some pilgrims
were able to return from the Holy Land with stories of their adventures and
wanted to remember the 'way of the cross.'

It was the Franciscans who first promoted the use of scenes from the last
journey of Jesus to the cross. This was no doubt inspired by the Crusaders
who often erected tableaux of places they had visited in the Holy Land. So
has developed a devotion which has come to be called the 'Stations of the
Cross.'

The seventeenth century marks the time at which 'Stations' were placed on
church walls. These 'Stations' or 'gathering places,' were centered around
wooden crosses, with a scene from the last journey of the Passion placed
beneath them. Over the years there have been as few as five, or over 30
'Stations.' In 1731 the number was fixed by Clement XII at fourteen. Nine of
these commemorated events in the Gospels and five were taken from early
tradition

So, when we hear the term 'Stations of the Cross' what we are usually
referring to is a series of pictures or carvings depicting fourteen
incidents in the last journey of Christ before his burial. Most churches
will use them devotionally at during Lent or Holy Week.

The Stations can be taken alone or in the context of a church service, when
a verse from the hymn Stabat Mater is sometimes sung between each of the
stations. An English version of this hymn is found in Hymns Ancient and
Modern New Standard) No 69. The congregation goes from one picture to the
next, led by the priest recalling Christ's last hours.

Pilate condemns Jesus to death

Christ receives the cross

Christ falls to the ground

Christ meets his mother

Simon of Cyrene takes the cross

Christ has his faced wiped by Veronica

Christ falls a second time

Christ tells the women of Jerusalem not to weep for him

Christ falls a third time

Christ is stripped of his garments

Christ is nailed to the cross

Christ dies on the cross

Christ's body is taken down

Christ is placed in the tomb

On Good Friday 1991, Pope John Paul II, according to long standing papal
tradition, led a crowd of people at the Roman Colosseum through the Stations
of the Cross. However, he changed the format, altering the fourteen stations
and adding a fifteenth. Some of the traditional ones were kept, while others
were dropped and new ones inserted. All of the stations the Holy Father used
had as their basis incidents recorded in the gospels. Using this service in
our own church we follow through the last days in the life of our Lord and
as we seek to die with Christ so we also seek to rise to new life on Easter
Sunday. You may take this service and use it in your own prayer times.

ThisisChurch.com acknowledges the following websites which you may also find helpful in considering the lectionary this week:- www.bbc.co.uk/religion, www.textweek.com, www.lectionary.org, www.gbod.org/worship, www.methodist.org.uk, www.churchtimes.co.uk, http://www.cofe.anglican.org